1. Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to solar power and more particularly to a solar-powered cooling system.
2. State of Technology
U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,234 for a solar collector absorption cooling system provides the following state of technology information: “The exploitation of solar heat as an energy source has hitherto mainly been adopted for heating purposes, whereby different types of solar collector systems have gained interest on an equal footing with other kinds of alternative energy sources, as far as solar collector systems are concerned particularly for the heating of water with respect to tap water in buildings and for swimming pools and the like. In connection with solar powered air condition systems it is known, however, to incorporate an air cooling into a total solution in connection with water heating by combining the solar collector system with an absorption cooling system.”
“Particularly in the hotter regions of the world and in places where the access to electric power and other conventional energy sources is difficult or expensive, there is a great and up till now badly fulfilled need for cold producing systems for various different purposes. Thus, such requirements exist with respect to the cooling of foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and other products which do not stand storage at an elevated temperature, as well as air conditioning in living rooms for living beings, including particularly residential rooms.”
U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,384 for a solar-powered refrigeration unit provides the following state of technology information: “Many types of refrigeration units where freezing takes place or is maintained at night by means of heat collected during the day by a solar energy collector have been developed heretofore. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,391,434 describes a unit of this type. The operating cycle for these units consists of two phases: a day phase during which fluid flows through a specific line, from the solar energy collector to the freezer; a night phase during which fluid flows through another line, from the freezer to the solar energy collector. When the two lines intersect at the outlet for the solar energy collector, a three-way valve which must be operated at the start of each phase is usually employed to change the direction in which the fluid travels. For this type of refrigeration unit, it is therefore necessary for procedures to be performed twice during each cycle.”
U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,337 for a solar energy refrigeration device provides the following state of technology information: “We know several refrigeration devices which produce or keep ice during the night through the use of thermal energy collected by the solar collector during the day. Such a device is described in French Pat. No. 2,391,434. The operation of these devices consists of two phases: a diurnal phase during which a refrigeration fluid circulates from the solar collector toward the cold chamber through a first channel, and a night phase during which the refrigeration fluid circulates from the cold chamber towards the solar collector through a second channel. In order to link the interior of the collector with one or the other of the two channels, a three way valve is used, which valve permits the change in direction of fluid circulation and is set at the beginning of each phase.”